Camera bellows and method of making same



24, 1943- R. S.'HOPKINS 2,327,790

CAMERA BELLOWS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Shept 1 FIG]. FJGA.

ROY S.HOPKINS INVENT OR CAMERA BELLOWS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 25 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

- 51 ROY .5. HOPKINS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAMERA BELIDWS AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Roy S. Hopkins, Rochester, N. I, assignor to East- Rocheste man Kodak Company, r, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 23, 1941, Serial No. 411,999

. 10 Claims. (Cl. 95-39) This invention relates to a camera bellows and Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a fixture used for a. method of making the same. One object of applying a metallic strip to the outside of the my invention is to provide a bellows which is bellows; simple in construction and inexpensive to manu- Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7; facture. Another object of my invention is to Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 8-9 of Fig. provide a bellows which is extremely flexible and '7; and which can readily be made in unusually long Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view lengths if desired. A further object of my inin section showing a portion of the bellows vention is to provide a bellows which is attracsupporting structure used in manufacturing beltive in appearance. A still further object is to 10 lows. provide a bellows with a metal band so shaped In order to eliminate the usual expense in conas to cause the bellows to fold smoothly with nection with the manufacturing of camera bela metal band outside and the fabric of the bellows and in order to make a light weight, exlows inside. Other objects will appear from the tremely flexible bellows, I have provided a belfollowing specification, the novel features being lows preferably made from a single layer of particularly pointed out in the claims at the end thin light-tight fabric material such a the rubthereof. berized fabric frequently used for making the It has been customary in the past 'to make focalplaneshuttersof cameras. Overatruncated camera bellows rectangular in shape and procone of this type of material, I have wound a vided with a plurality of folds in the material spiral spring of flat stock which serves both to which is usually laminated so that the bellows support the bellows and to permit it to collapse may fold. A great many bellows are made with or fold. an inside lining, reinforcing fold strips mounted Where I refer herein to a camera bellows, I on the lining and an exterior cover of real or mean to include in this term a bellows for any artificial leather. Such bellows are usually photographic purpose, such as for cameras, for folded by hand, particularly in the large sizes so enlarging cameras, for camera hoods and other that the bellows has normally been quite an purposes in which such bellows are commonly expensive item in most cameras and particularly used. In order to illustrate a particularly suitin enlargers where it is frequently necessary to able machine for utilizing my improved beluse extremely long bellows from four to six feet. lows, reference may be had to my Patent In accordance with my invention, I have pro- 1,623,538, granted April 5, 1927, for an autovided an extremely inexpensive bellows and one matically focusing camera used primarily for which can be quickly and easily made which will making enlargements and reductions, although fold extremely flat. of course the machine may also be used for Coming now to the drawings whereinlike refmaking l-i projection prints. In such maerence characters denote like parts throughout: chines a bellows is used between a negative car- Fig. l is a side elevation of a camera bellows rier and a lens board and, for machines which constructed in accordance with and embodying will produce a large degree of magnification, a preferred form of my invention; this bellows must be quite long. For instance,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional 40 I have found that such a machine might review through the wall of the bellows shown in quire a bellows of approximately 5 feet long and Fig. 1; yet it is desirable to keep the bellows of light Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the weight and to retain unusual flexibility so that camera bellows in a partially folded position; the projecting camera may be readily moved for Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional various different magnifications. Y view through a portion of a bellows folded as in Referring to Fig. 1, the bellows may consist of the lower part of Fig. 3; a thin, flexible, truncated cone member I which Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with may be of greater diameter at one end 2 than it the bellows folded into a different position, this is at the other end 3. As above explained, this figure illustrating a slightly different emboditruncated cone maybe of rubberized fabric which ment of my invention; is light-proof, and I provide a foldable support Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l; for the bellows which-consists of a thin metal Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating one band 4, preferably made of a clock spring-like of the steps of manufacturing the'bellows shown material. wh h 18 W n in the m 0! a helix in Fig. 1; 5 and which is fastened to the bellows material i.

The upper edge of the bellows may consist of a plurality of convolutions of theband material wound one layer on the other and fastened together, and at the lower edge 6 the band material may be similarly wound to provide a reinforced end on the bellows which may be attached to the necessary parts of a camera in any known manner. A indicated in Fig. 3, if the bellows l is partially collapsed, it will collapse from the bottom up so that the collapsed portion of the bellows indicated at C will presently only the outside edge of the metal band 4. This makes an attractive type of fold because the metal band 4 may be suitably lacquered, polished or plated so that the contrasting color of the metal band and bellows material will make an attractive appearance. I have found, for instance, that by chromium plating the band 6 and by using a dead black fabric material I, an extremely striking bellows can be produced.

If the bellows is extremely long and it is not necessary any time to bring the upper edge 2 close to the lower edge 3, the fold shown in Fig. 3 can be used, this fold being shown in greater detail in Fig. 4. From this figure it will appear that the bellows material I folds rearwardly from the band material 4 into a series of irregular loops M. In this instance, the diameter of each successive convolution of the band material t is not quite small enough to permit the bands i to telescope so that the fold of convolutions present the material indicated at t in Fig. 3 with only the metal bands showing. However, if it is necessary to provide a still more compact bellows, the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 40 may be used wherein the band material 40 is wound so that each successive convolution is enough smaller than the convolution above it to permit the band material 50 to fold until the bands will all lie in substantially the same plane. In this case the bellows materialfolds upwardly into a series of convolutions All as each successive convolution of the metal band fill is lowered until it reaches a supporting surface 52.

I have devised a method for making the abovedescribed bellows which makes it veryinexpensive. Referring to Fig. 6, I prefer to provide a truncated cone-shaped support 56, small at one end 5i and large at the other end 52, and this support is adapted to be positioned between a suitable chuck 53 and center at of a standard type of lathe 55.

As indicated in Fig. 10, over the top of the truncated support 5!) I place a flexible pad 56 which maybe made of fabric or felt. Before placing the form in the lathe, a sheet of fabric l is stretched around the form and, as indicated in Fig. 3, the edges of the sheet are overlapped as at 9 and are fastened with asuitable cement, such a cement being sold on the market and being known as Vulcolox. After the fabric has been stretched over the felt pad 56 and the form 50 has been placed in a lathe, the metal band a is rapidly wound and cemented in place in the following manner. A coil of the strip material i is carried by a spool 57 supported on a bracket 58 carried by an arm 59, this arm, as better shown in Figs. '7 and 8, includingtwo side rails 60, an end rail 6! and a roller guide 52 trunnioned in the rails .59 at one end. A small tank 63 carries a suitable cement fi l, such as the cement above mentioned, and an applicator roll 85 supplies cement to the undersideof the metal band l as it passes between the spaced flanges 66 of the spool 55.

This applicator is attached by any suitable means toa carriage Bl of the lathe 55 having an automatic feed screw 58 for moving the carriage longitudinally of the lathe. After placing the carriage at one end of the form as, for instance at the small end 5i, andafter feeding one or more convolutions of the band material to form the end 3 of the bellows, the drive for the lathe may be started so that the band material 5 may be fed throughout the length of the form automatically. As the band is wound on the bellows material I, the flexible material 56 permits the band to lie substantially parallel to the axis of. the form 50 in the manner shown by Fig. 10. This comprises small areas of the flexible material 56 so that it holds the cemented surface of the bands 4 firmly in contact with the bellows material so that these parts will properly adhere.

After the large end of the form is reached, the automatic feed through screw 68 may be cut out and one or more convolutions of the spring may be wound at the upper edge 2 of the bellows to form the reinforced supporting band, 5. After positioning the supporting band member on the necessary because the band material is made of spring material preferably of spring steel so that it naturally tends to coil up or fold the material when the bellows ends 2 and 3 are brought together. Since the bellows is preferably of a truncated cone-shaped form, the material tends to fold as indicated at Figs. 4 or 4a according to the size or diameter of the successive convolutions of the spiral supporting strip 40. Thus, not only are the usual operations of making each bellows fold eliminated, but the bellows can be made very much lighter than the more normal type of bellows, even including th weight of the supporting spring.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A camera bellows comprising a truncated cone-shaped flexible member, and a support therefor comprising a spiral-shaped spring metal band firmly attached to the outside of the flexible member throughout its length whereby said bellows may fold as the convolutions of the spiral springmember may approach adjacent convolutions.

2. A camera bellows comprising a truncated cone-shaped flexible member of lightproof material, and a spiral fiat spring member extending around the outside thereof, the fiat surface of the spring member engaging and being attached the flat spring member including more than one convolution positioned to encircle the end of the bellows to form a supporting ring therefor, said supporting ring also being attached to the bellows.

4. A decorative camera bellows comprising a lightproof fabric truncated cone-shaped member, a. flat polished metal band coiled in a spiral about the fabric member, said metal band and fabric being flrmly attached throughout their length.

5. A camera bellows comprising a truncated cone-shaped flexible member impervious to light, a flat metal flexible helix attached to the flexible member, throughout its length, and adapted to fold as the convolutions approach each other, the flexible member folding inwardly between convolutions of the metal member, and ringshaped supports for the flexible truncated coneshaped member attached tothe ends thereof. 1

6. A camera bellows comprising a flexible lightproof fabric sleeve, and a metal band attached thereto, said metal band being shaped to form a spiral support for the bellows between the ends thereof and including ring-shaped convolutions at each end thereof.

7. A method of making a camera bellows comprising mounting a truncated cone-shaped flexible sleeve on a similar shaped support having a resilient surface, winding and attaching a flat spring metal band in a spiral upon said flexible sleeve, and removing the sleeve and attached metal band from said support.

8. A method of making a camera bellows comprising mounting a truncated cone-shaped flexible sleeve on a similar shaped support having a resilient surface, applying an adhesive material to a spring metal band, winding the adhesively coated spring metal band into contact with the flexible sleeve and into the form of a spiral extending from one end of the flexible sleeve to the other.

9. A method of making a camera bellows comprising mounting a truncated cone-shaped flexible sleeve on a similar shaped support having a resilient surface, applying an adhesive material to a spring metal band, winding the adhesively coated spring metal band into contact with the flexible sleeve and into the form of a spiral extending from one end of the flexible sleeve to the other, and winding additional convolutions of the spring metal band to form reinforcing rings at each end of the sleeve.

10. A method of making a camera bellows comprising drawing a sleeve of lightproof bellows fabric over a truncated cone-shaped support with a resilient covering, winding at least one convolution of flat spring material at the end of the sleeve forming an end bellows supporting ring, winding the flat spring material along the length of the bellows with spaced spiral convolutions, and finally winding at least one convolution of said flat spring material at the opposite end of the sleeve to form a second bellows supporting ring, and applying an adhesive to the flat spring material before applying it to the sleeve of lightproof material with suflicient pressure to cause it to firmly adhere thereto.

ROY S. HOPKINS. 

